Dokha as An Emerging Epidemic: What Can We Learn from Global Tobacco Control?

NYUAD Institute

11/5/2017 Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death, on trajectory to cause 1 billion deaths this century. A particularly alarming trend is the rise of alternative tobacco products, which are often perceived as safe as or less harmful than cigarettes. Dokha tobacco use is very common throughout the Gulf region, and use appears to be emerging in other parts of the world. While the risks of use of other forms of tobacco are documented, very little is known about dokha. In this public lecture, tobacco control experts will describe emerging evidence about the health effects of dokha and discuss lessons learned from international tobacco control research that aims at curbing the global spread of this form of tobacco. Speakers Thomas Eissenberg PhD, Professor and Director, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, Virginia Commonwealth University Rima Afifi PhD, MPH; Professor, College of Public Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health Panelists Mohammed Al Houqani MBBS, MPH, FRCPC, FFOM; Assistant Dean for Medical Education; Consultant of Internal Medicine, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) Michael Weitzman MD; Professor, Department of Pediatrics, NYU